Tony Brooks

That is certainly a possibility, but if it restricted much I think it would ventilate because that means water would have been drawing down from the surface.

No signs of drain holes through the inside aluminium face, and I doubt there ever was a drip channel. Plenty of signs of the use of orrible black mastic to hold the glass into the frame. I am now sure this is a DIY bodge. I would try digging out some of the black mastic to see exactly why you have there. The mastic looks wide enough to be hiding a drip channel.

I agree, but not sure how it could make things worse because cavitation air/gas bubbles are caused by the prop itself making low pressure areas, not drawing air down from the surface.

Tests to confirm the suggested diagnosis before you go pulling things apart and assuming the engine will turn by hand (spanner) You can extend the voltmeter leads with almost any length of cable if needed. To test for problems with the positive circuit. Voltmeter between start battery positive and the large terminal on the starter solenoid that runs from the solenoid into the starter body. Expect battery voltage, but ignore it. Operate starter. The meter should read less than 1 volt. The higher the reading, the bigger the resistance in the circuit. If you get more than 1 volt, transfer the connection to the other large solenoid connection and repeat. If you then get less than 1volt, the solenoid contacts are burned. To test for problems with the negative circuit. Voltmeter between start battery negative and the starter negative terminal, or a clean area on the starter body. Expect zero volts but ignore it. Operate the starter. The meter should read less than 1 volt. The higher the reading, the bigger the resistance in the circuit.

If I may observe that the photo shows a very poor quality of fit out, even though it is elderly, so I suspect it may well have been a DIY job using second hand windows. If so they could have originated in all sorts of applications. I think some GRP cruisers had aluminium window frames with no drip channel and the stick on "fabric" cabin lining was overlapped and stuck to the frame - hence the glue. However, I am having difficulty in recalling a cruiser that had narrowboat style windows, so suspect a vehicle of some sort is a more likely doner.

Of course you did. The trouble is that those who know the difference between cavitation and ventilation on props are not as numerous who think both are the same thing.

But the photo shows the required drain channel. I think this is another window, so we need a photo of the offending window.

Many thanks for the update, and sorry it is not sorted. I seem to recall someone said that you had a Barrus Shire engine, so have been looking at manuals and images. If it is something different, ignore this and let us know exactly what it is. It seems the starter motor has a top mounted solenoid well above the engine bed so that won't smoke from under the engine. The Non Canal boat engine manual suggests that there may be a start relay, but there seems to be no mention of this on the canal boat range. Such a relay should be mounted higher on or beside the engine, so even if you have one it should not be under the engine. If there is something under the engine, it seems unusual. There is likely to be something low down on an engine bed or on a starer mounting bolt, the starter negative terminal (if there is one) or probably a gearbox or flywheel housing mounting stud/bolt and that would be a main negative "earth" connection. This could look as if it may be under the engine and if the smoke is coming from there then Arthur got it right. If that connection is loose, dirty, or the cable strands are loose in the terminal, it would smoke and give you symptoms. I await the next instalment with interest.

I tried one of the so-called marine fillers once and it was extremely difficult to sand down - as one would expect from a product with more resin and less powder in it. Therefore, I doubt it would suit the OP's job. It was also far more difficult to apply. I think it was the Plastic Padding one. I never had any problems with automotive fillers on vertical or near vertical surfaces on the boat, but if the area suffered any paint damage I touched it up at once.

Now you know why I suggested a locksmith. Your lock may well not be the Aquafax one so you can't go by the look of the lock.

Ask at the Basingstoke Canal Centre at Mychett. That is the office of the Basingstoke Canal Authority.

Talk to Eagle Boat Windows https://www.eagleboatwindows.co.uk/ and describe what you want or send them photos. As they refurbish all sorts of windows, they may know what you need. If you can shape it at the ends, all the big DIY sheds seem to sell aluminium square section U channel, but trying to make a mechanical fixing to the existing frame in my view stands a good chance of ending up with shattered glass when a drill hits it behind the existing aluminium upstand..

I think that they are part of the section the frame is made from. so not a separate item. If you don't have them, then maybe the windows are from a bus or other vehicle

I just Googled "car body stopper" which is a very fine form of filler. You can get one or two pack products. By all means try the two fillers you have, but you might find that when you sand them, and they get really thin, they tear away from the steel. I am sure a boat painter will be along soon. Be aware that stoppers and fillers are porous, as is most/all single pack paint, so if you get water sitting on the filled section for long enough the filler is likely to absorb some water so rust ensures.

Er, the pump valves allow flow from the tank to the system, I think there is every chance that if the main pipework was below the tank level, and it sprung a leak it would syphon. I would not rely upon six little rubber valves to seal in the direction they are supposed to allow flow. If the pump started leaking then I agree air would enter the leak rather the water come out, but then the valves (two per pumping chamber) would be trying to stop any water in the pump d raining back into the tank, but that won't be a lot.

It might be clearer to newbies if you had said "filling with 25% antifreeze mixture", or 30% if you wish. Certainly not neat antifreeze, which is what this thread seems to involve. FWIW you could have added a couple of pots of car cooling system cleaner additive to the water you ran with for a (short) while.

Sorry, I don't understand "fuse lights flashing". If a fuse or circuit breaker has a light associated with it. Usually, it either illuminates when the circuit breaker is turned on or when a fuse blows. I have yet to come across one that flashes, although a light monitoring "electronic boxes" like charge controllers do flash under fault conditions. This is all very odd, I doubt it is an actual pump fault, more likely a wring or circuit fault. Take a very good look at the main cables (pos and neg) between the battery terminals and the domestic fuse/beaker/distribution board. Especially the negative.

I suspect that the locksmith may just modify the lock so a key blank works.

Pleased it is fixed, but not so pleased that you had to buy a new alternator when the old one had every chance of being OK. This is not a pop at you, but it seems we are having a few posters who ignore advice to do tests before buying new etc. Did you do the test I suggested on March 8th? Disconnect the D+ cable at the alternator, turn the ignition on, and see if the bulb illuminated. Unless you were very unlucky and that cable move din the bulkhead, I would bet the charge light remained on - that screams short circuit o the D+ cable.

The keys for different locks are likely to be different. I would suggest that you take the whole lock to a locksmith, who should then be able to cut you the keys that you need.

If your solar is not working, it again points to that master switch, battery terminals or a blown maim fuse. If the ball of paper trick I mentioned above does not work, disconnect the domestic bank negative (so you can't cause a short circuit with the spanner) and the put all the cables that are on the switch terminals on one terminal stud. then reconnect the batteries. If you then have your 12V circuits back, the switch is faulty. If you have a similar switch for the engine battery then that may also be faulty. As most solar controllers are dual 12/24 volt it is VITAL that the batteries are connected to it BEFORE the panels, so it can sense the voltage and set itself. Now you really should disconnect your panels from the controller in some way or cover them so they don't generate anything. keep them disconnected/covered until you ensure you have battery voltage at the controller OUTPUT/battery connections. If you do not, there is every chance the controller will default to 24 volts and start charging the 12V bank well in excess of 15 volts. that is not good and will damage a 12V battery bank.

It is very unlikely to be a short circuit because if it were only a one or two circuits would fail when a fuse blew, or if the fuse did not then the wiring would probably have caught fire. This sounds more like a major break in the domestic battery circuit close to the batteries, and Rusty 69 is correct about crappy master switches with a red removable plastic key. if you have then one screw up a little ball of paper and put it under the key before you twist it down. That will often make it work temporarily. As we are now talking about the domestic battery bank, it sounds like a bad connection between a battery clamps and cable or more likely loose or dirty battery terminals. When you say that you cleaned the battery terminals, did you use abrasive paper or a knife to scrape both the terminal post and inside the terminal to bright metal. Especially the negative terminals. Inverters, especially inverter-chargers, often have a separate feed from the domestic bank with only a fuse in the line, so it is perfectly possible that the inverter works but the 12V circuits don't. There may be a big fuse in the main feed to the 12V domestic fuse/distribution board. 600W of solar should keep the batteries well charged for a lot of the year. the 12.7 to 12.8 V after a small load has been turned on for a short while or the battery has been left to stand for a while without charging shows that you are getting the DOMESTIC bank more or less fully charged, although 14.6v is not a reliable way of inferring fully charged, but seems to be working for you. How many alternators do you have, I expect it is two, and if so the 12.7V only applies to the domestic bank. In most, but not all cases, solar charging is only for the domestic bank so how do you know the alternator is charging the engine battery. I am still leaning to a faulty engine battery.

Thanks, is it or them in excess of 100 watts or so because much less than that and although it will fully charge an unused battery over winter or with a few days with not electrical use, but it may only contribute to battery charging during the summer, but as you run the engine every two days it all helps. If its convenient, I would use the alternator later in the day so you get maximum benefit from the midday sun.